We battled to stop a 5G mast being built - now we live in its shadow and I’m at the ‘end of my tether’

People living on Clarendon Street in Rochdale successfully battled to get rid of a 5G mast, around 15m in height, put in by telecoms company IX Wireless eight months ago. At the end of July locals were surprised to see the nightmare mast return.  When Rochdale Council ordered IX Wireless to rip down the structure in October 2023, many locals thought that was the end of the saga.

IX Wireless launched in 2017 to provide internet to towns across the North West. This mast is one of many being erected across the Greater Manchester region. June Eastwood, who lives in the house right next to the new mast, said that she knew the mast was coming back when all the pots and pans in her kitchen cabinet started rattling. 

The last time that happened workers from IX Wireless had been erecting the last pole. Much to her horror it was happening all over again.

Remembering the moment she realised, June recalled: “Everything in my house was vibrating, just like last time. I went out and asked them ‘what are you doing’, they replied saying ‘you have a painted one this time’.

“I never got any warning about any of this. I got nothing through the letterbox. The other day I came through with the dog and I had to squeeze through sideways because of the cars parked on the curb and the green boxes (that go with the mast). It’s just one thing after another. I have really gotten to the end of my tether.”

June, who turns 77 next month, is concerned that this mast will reduce the value of her home and stop her doing any painting on the side of her home. She lives on the end terrace and believes the mast leaves no room for workers to come in to sort any potential issues with the gable end in future.

House valuations are a concern for many other residents on the street, who now get to look onto the mast every day through their windows. Many locals have stated that they got no notification of the mast being put back up, creating an extra layer of discontent. For June, she simply can’t believe it’s happening again after believing everything was sorted last October.

“I thought we had it sorted and it was all over,” she continued. “I have spoken to neighbours who live on my street and the surrounding streets and everyone is unhappy about it.

“They are all up in arms. Why couldn’t they put it in the car park where it wouldn’t have impacted people. 

“There isn’t enough room to swing a cat (where they’ve put it). Hopefully this one will go as well (like last time). One way or another, it’s going to go.”

Another Clarendon Street resident, Lydia Lukash, says this one caught the street completely by surprise because they got no notification from the telecoms company. IX Wireless claim they have engaged with locals on the matter.

Under planning regulations allowing “permitted development”, firms can install poles up to 50ft (15m) tall without first getting permission. However, planning consent is needed to install antenna on the poles.

“They said they weren’t putting a pole in but connecting the box,” Lydia said. “This one is bigger. It’s back and bigger than ever. This is our second one. The other one was just a few metres to the right of that one.

“There is a big car park and open space over there but they’ve decided to put it next to someone’s house. Kids congregate there, it’s covered in graffiti, it’s a mess. It’s an eyesore. IX are so unorganised, we had notification about the last one, but not this one.”

Lydia, alongside fellow Clarendon Street residents June and Alan Chadwick, are calling on the council to take action and order IX Wireless to take this one down again. But Rochdale Council are currently waiting on the result of another similar case in Heywood before they make their move.

The local authority has put an order on a similar mast erected by IX Wireless in Heywood which is currently subject to appeal with the Planning Inspectorate. How the town hall bosses approach other cases of masts in the future will depend on what the Planning Inspectorate decides on the Heywood case.

If the government body upholds the council’s order, then that will give the council a successful way forward with tackling other 5G masts.

Cllr Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Council, has previously written to Ofcom directly expressing his own concerns about IX’s approach. Back in October, the council claimed to have identified a number of masts deemed to have an unacceptable impact on the areas they were constructed.

For Alan Chadwick, who lives across the road from what he calls an “unsightly monster”, the way forward is simple. He believes it’s unacceptable to have it there.  He understands there is a need for better phone connectivity, and these masts are there to do that, but he explained this one is simply too close to the house.

“The work made her house shake, it could’ve damaged her home. Looking at the Residents against IX Wireless Facebook Page, there are lots of residents, not just here, against them. The only fighting chance we have of getting it taken down is that it’s too close to the house. This is unsightly and there is graffiti all over the cabinets that go with it already.”

Alan believes the mast could be taken down on the grounds that if work needed to be done to the end of terrace property next to the mast, it could prevent that being done.

In response to the latest development in the saga and the unwelcome from locals, a spokesperson for IX Wireless said: “I want to confirm that all permits are in place for the siting of the pole.

“We continue to engage and work with local residents. As part of this engagement and discussions with local residents we took the decision to remove the initial pole due to its close proximity to the roof of the property.

“The pole has since been reinstated away from the roof. The pole has also been specially painted to contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal of the local area.”

Although the future is unclear for the residents, even if the mast does get taken down again, June wonders what is stopping them putting up one for the third time.